Last week a former member of the Erie Board of Trustees wrote an editorial criticizing my support to collaborate with Boulder County Commissioners. How unfortunate that he has forgotten the importance of a healthy relationship with this necessary agency.

With millions given to the developers in Erie, Mayor Wilson’s policies have taken from Erie’s general fund of limited resources at time when we will need them most.

This unnecessary pressure makes it harder to fund the things our citizens expect. When the developers backroll the elections of our leaders, this is what you get.

The fact is Joe Wilson leads the effort to give taxpayer money away unnecessarily. Multi-millions to a developer and thousands to special interests. Furthermore, it is striking to me that several of Erie’s board members say they are fiscal conservatives yet I’m in the minority to have consistently voted against special interest funding.

Erie needs cooperation from Boulder County to start or complete the following projects:

— Intersection improvements @ 287 & Arapahoe

— Arapahoe Road widening

–Erie Parkway widening west of 111th

— Prince Lake No. 2 dam improvements

— Commercial development in Boulder County.

I believe that cooperation will yield Erie better long-term results.

Without the cooperation and help from Boulder County, Erie could not successfully go it alone. This reminds me of Iran and North Korea, who are trying to be independent using the nuclear option as their leverage. Raising taxes would be Erie’s equivalent to the nuclear option. I can not support tax hikes to prop up continued government handouts.

We need leadership in Erie that will gets us back to the negotiating table and will get future projects in Erie off the ground.